Amazing Grace

Last night I watched a DVD version of the movie “Amazing Grace”. It is based on the life of William Wilberforce who was first elected to the British House of Commons at the age of 21 and spent his career in Parliament leading the political battle against slavery. During the 18th and 19th centuries he introduced numerous bills, all of them going down in defeat. He and fellow abolitionists collected evidence of the slave trade and its crimes, garnered 390,000 citizen signatures in support of their anti-slavery cause, and worked tirelessly to bring an end to the slave trade. After 20 years of incessant struggle, Wilberforce’s dream to end slavery was rewarded when a sweeping majority of his political colleagues passed the 1807 abolition bill.

Throughout his life, Wilberforce overcame chronic illness and overwhelming political and social odds to campaign for lasting change. His pastor, John Newton, author of the famous hymn that serves as the movie title was a source of inspiration during the lowest points in Wilberforce’s efforts. He also benefited from the close friendship of then Prime Minister, William Pitt. During one scene in the movie, Pitt tells his friend, “Which is why we are too young to realize that certain things are impossible. So we will do them anyway.”

Today the theme of change is common in political and business arenas but I sometimes wonder how seriously we attempt to implement our ideal visions of the future. Many leaders I know are giving only lip service to this concept and lack the courage and confidence to see it through. There are exceptions, of course, and those persons stand out, just as William Wilberforce did in his day. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Theresa are a few names we all know.

How committed are you as a leader in your family, business, and faith community to a purpose and cause? Are you passionate about creating lasting change that will serve as a legacy for your life? God did not create us so we could simply occupy space and consume resources. He gave each of us talents to be used for the express purpose of making a difference in our world.

I have recognized that call in my life as my personal mission statement, “To discover, nurture, and affirm a lifelong love for learning in myself and others.” In recent years that mission has focused on working with leaders who want to be inspiring and organizations that embrace them. Each day as I work with clients, interact with colleagues, and meet new prospects these words are inspiring me and keeping me on task. It remains to be seen whether any of my work will have long-term effects but that will not deter me from being as faithful as I can in my efforts to change the world.

It would be inspiring to me and others if the readers of this blog would offer their comments about how they are trying to change the world. We don’t have to look very hard to see that even the slave trade that Wilberforce fought so hard to eradicate is still active in many parts of the world. So are hunger, poverty, disease, and so much more. It is the individual efforts of people committed to a cause that will have lasting impact. If we wait for governments to intervene it may be too late. If you have experienced the amazing grace captured in Newton’s song lyrics then you know that change is real in your own life. Now it is time to bring it to the whole world.